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It’s Baseball Season, and Injuries Abound

Injuries are common in all sports, and this is especially true in professional baseball, where players engage in repetitive movements on the field for 162 games each season. Back injuries can be detrimental for baseball players, often affecting an athlete’s swing or pitch. As this season kicks off, serious injuries and long-term recoveries are keeping a number of players off the field. Baltimore Orioles left fielder Nolan Reimold is still recovering after undergoing a cervical fusion surgery in July. He is now in physical therapy and remains on the disabled list until he is fully recovered. Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison is still on the disabled list after having surgery to repair a damaged disc last May. This was his third surgery over the past two years and he is still recovering. Clayton Kershaw, starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been on the 15-day disabled list since March 30due to a muscle strain in his upper back that could affect his rotator cuff, but he is expected to return to the mound in May. Here in New York, Brendan Ryan, the Yankees backup shortstop, is currently on the disabled list for a minor “back issue” that he believes

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Tiger Woods Sidelined by Bulging Disc

In August 2013, we saw Tiger Woods collapse on the course at the Barclay’s tournament from debilitating back pain. The star athlete suffered through competition to completion, but withdrew from his next tournament to rest. At the time, he blamed his heavy travel schedule and soft hotel beds for his pain and frequent back spasms. During the off season, Woods took time to rest and prepare his body for the 2014 golf season. Unfortunately, earlier this month, Woods was forced to withdraw from competition at the Honda Classic when his lower back pain once again became too much to handle. He later explained, “It’s my lower back with spasms… It started this morning warming up.” Luckily, through stretching and physical therapy, Woods was able to participate in the Cadillac Classic the following weekend. Tiger has such a powerful swing that, even though he is in great shape, it puts a lot of torque onto his lower back and disks. The full golf swing is a movement that can aggravate an underlying disk condition, as many of my patients have experienced.   Tiger played a strong game at the Cadillac Classic and came in fourth place. However, he wasn’t as lucky

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